Chapter Thirty-four
Closers, Closers, And More Closers
2:41 P.M...
Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...
Bes Hotel...
Kim and Kat walked out of the lady's restroom and headed for the hotel's entrance. They scanned the crowd for Nikolai and Natasha. The lobby bustled with people and at first, they didn't see any sign of them.
"Hurry!" Kim increased her pace, ready to draw her gun at any moment. "Out the front!"
"I'm coming." Kat followed her.
Nikolai and Natasha exited an elevator and spotted them.
He motioned with his head and said in a calm voice, "There they are."
Natasha reached her hand up her sleeve, going for her knives.
He put a hand on her arm and told her, "Not here. There are too many people. We must wait."
"They are heading outside, my brother. We can kill them under the cover of darkness."
Near the entrance...
"Hurry!" Kim pushed her way out the rotating doors.
"Go on." Kat paused still inside the hotel. "I'm going to buy us some time to cross the road."
Nikolai halted along with his sister. He reached into his suit jacket ready to draw his gun, not knowing what Kat would do. He preferred not to pull his weapon in front of so many people. "What is she up to?"
"I do not know, my brother." Natasha eyed her. "Perhaps she is giving the Phoenix some time to escape. We should continue."
Making sure they noticed, Kat reached into her pocket, removed a small item, and placed it on the floor in front of the rotating doors. She rushed outside and joined Kim.
"Wait..." Wary, Nikolai put his arm out, holding back his sister. "We must be careful."
Natasha leaned to her twin brother's ear and whispered, "What did she place on the floor? Was it an explosive?"
"It could be that or some sort of toxin." He put his arm down. "We must be cautious. I will go and check it out. Stay here." Nikolai slowly walked to the small item.
People came in and out the front, and a few people walked over top of the item, till someone kicked it across the floor. The round thing slid, stopping in front of Nikolai. He took a step back, afraid that at any moment it would explode, but nothing happened. Nikolai stared at the red and white thing for a few seconds. He bent down, picked up the item in a plastic wrapper, and returned to his sister.
"What is it?" Natasha asked.
Nikolai held out his hand, showing her. "A peppermint candy, I think."
"A sweet? What does it mean?" she asked. "Is this other woman trying to tell us something?"
"I do not believe so," he answered. "I believe she hoped it would give them time to flee."
Natasha thought the woman was trying to tell them something. She looked to her hidden left wrist sheathe where her throwing knives were positioned. There were sweets that were treats, and Sweets that could kill. Natasha wondered if the woman was using her own words against her, and they moved to the entrance as she questioned, "Where do they hope to flee?"
He pointed with his finger. "Look there, they are entering that house."
Natasha looked to the ceiling of the hotel, remembering the layout of the roof. "Could that house belong to the Phoenix's Mark? Would they flee into the den of her prey?"
"I have noticed in this city that anything is possible. Come Tasha. Let us make our plans for the assault." He walked outside along with his sister. "With the Phoenix's odd behavior, perhaps Voice will let us go ahead and acquire the Mark's Closing. We can earn some extra money and proceed a little early with the Closing of the Phoenix."
"You mean..."
"Yes," Nikolai answered before she finished her sentence. "I was only toying with the Phoenix. The Closing File states we cannot kill her till tomorrow, but I knew, dear sister, you were bored. The drama on the rooftop did give you enjoyment, yes?"
Delighted with the events, Natasha wrapped her arm around his. "Yes, and I thought you only wanted to show me the Dry Clouds. You were hoping the Phoenix would show up and check out the roof's layout."
Nikolai patted her arm. "And now that we know what the Phoenix looks like, maybe Voice will give us permission to close tonight."
"That way we can leave this dreadful Dark Half tomorrow and–" Natasha smiled. "–see the sun once again."
#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love Page 39